Step inside the fortified Vine City stash house linked to violent Mexican drug cartel

Heavily fortified Vine City stash house raided

Behind reinforced doors and barred windows in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood, state agents say they uncovered one of metro Atlanta’s most fortified stash houses, wired for surveillance, packed with hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and protected like a fortress.

ATLANTA - Behind reinforced doors and barred windows in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood, state agents say they uncovered one of metro Atlanta’s most fortified stash houses, wired for surveillance, packed with hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and protected like a fortress.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the discovery was part of a two-day operation that stretched across Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and Woodstock, leading to three arrests, nine seized firearms, and more than 500 pounds of marijuana packaged and ready for sale.

Fortified drug stash house in metro Atlanta

What they're saying:

"It was wired for audio and video for remote monitoring," said GBI Agent Ken Howard. "There was a lot of internal and external fortification in the stash house to keep nosey people out."

Investigators said the home was outfitted with multiple layers of protection, including steel bars mounted on the inside of doors and windows.

"If you equip certain houses in neighborhoods with external fortifications, it attracts the attention of law enforcement," Howard said. "In this case, the burglar bars were on the inside."

A fortified stash house in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood was found wired for surveillance and packed with more than 500 pounds of marijuana during a GBI raid that also led to three arrests across metro Atlanta on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30, 2025. (FOX 5)

Howard said the operation was just one step in a larger, ongoing investigation into drug trafficking networks operating across Georgia.

"I hope the bad guys are paying attention," he said. "Often times the reason we execute these search warrants is strategic, to beat the bushes to see who runs, to see who can’t hold their water — and that leads us to our next move."

Suspected cartel members arrested in metro Atlanta

What we know:

Agents arrested 52-year-old Jubenal Farfan Arellano and 33-year-old Omar Flores Mena, both of Mexico, along with 29-year-old Jose Radilla Maldonado of Sandy Springs. All three were booked into the Cherokee County Jail. Officials said Flores Mena also faces cocaine and methamphetamine charges.

Search warrants were executed at several homes and businesses during the Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 raids, which were carried out by the GBI’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office alongside local and federal partners.

What is Cartel Jalisco New Generation?

Dig deeper:

The GBI said the fortified property was used to store drugs and weapons connected to associates of the Cartel Jalisco New Generation, known as CJNG, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

The Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) is a Mexico-based criminal organization that U.S. authorities classify as a transnational threat. The Drug Enforcement Administration describes Mexican "poly-drug organisations" such as the CJNG as controlling trafficking of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana into the United States.

In February 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced it had designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has repeatedly targeted CJNG cells and leadership for sanctions.

U.S. Treasury statements say CJNG is "a brutally violent cartel responsible for a significant share of fentanyl and other illicit drugs entering the United States."

The group also is reported to be expanding beyond traditional drug trafficking into alternative revenue streams such as fuel theft, fraud and ammunition procurement, which U.S. officials say underline its paramilitary character.

Agents with the GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana and nine firearms during coordinated search warrants in Woodstock, Sandy Springs, and Atlanta on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30, 2025. (Georgia Bureau of Investigation)

What we don't know:

Authorities have not said how long the suspects operated in Georgia or where the drugs were being distributed.

The GBI said the investigation remains active and more arrests are likely.

Report drug activity in Georgia

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office at 706-348-7410 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or visiting gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online.